Why you must rise above conflict to succeed.
The other day, a blog I read, and normally really like, got upset that someone they don’t like made a racist comment. They responded by calling out the woman they accused of racism using some really ugly sexist terms and suggesting she perform what one can only assume they think is a degrading sex act (because if it wasn’t degrading it wouldn’t be an insult now would it).
This blog routinely calls out sexism when it is directed at their heroes so it came as a bit of a shock to me that they so eagerly and graphically engaged in behavior they themselves have rightly condemned. This just goes to show you no one corners the market in stupidity.
This brings me to today’s point. Don’t be a dick (or an elbow), even if other people are. You don’t show how stupid someone is by being equally stupid. All that does is show off how stupid you are and they are and the adults in the room will consider you unworthy of their time.
In order to claim the moral high ground, you first have to be moral. Need another reason? Consider this quote by Albert Camus, “In order to keep faith with ourselves, we are obliged to respect in you what you do not respect in others.” – Letters to a German Friend.
Want another reason to not stoop to the level of others? Here’s another quote from Camus, “When fighting for your truth, you must take care not to kill it with the very arms you are using to defend it.” – Preface to Algerian Reports.
Don’t fight bigotry with bigotry of any sort. Rise above and let the other person show off how stupid they are. It’s easy to shine like a beacon of rationality by comparison.
The other day, a blog I read, and normally really like, got upset that someone they don’t like made a racist comment. They responded by calling out the woman they accused of racism using some really ugly sexist terms and suggesting she perform what one can only assume they think is a degrading sex act (because if it wasn’t degrading it wouldn’t be an insult now would it).
This blog routinely calls out sexism when it is directed at their heroes so it came as a bit of a shock to me that they so eagerly and graphically engaged in behavior they themselves have rightly condemned. This just goes to show you no one corners the market in stupidity.
This brings me to today’s point. Don’t be a dick (or an elbow), even if other people are. You don’t show how stupid someone is by being equally stupid. All that does is show off how stupid you are and they are and the adults in the room will consider you unworthy of their time.
In order to claim the moral high ground, you first have to be moral. Need another reason? Consider this quote by Albert Camus, “In order to keep faith with ourselves, we are obliged to respect in you what you do not respect in others.” – Letters to a German Friend.
Want another reason to not stoop to the level of others? Here’s another quote from Camus, “When fighting for your truth, you must take care not to kill it with the very arms you are using to defend it.” – Preface to Algerian Reports.
Don’t fight bigotry with bigotry of any sort. Rise above and let the other person show off how stupid they are. It’s easy to shine like a beacon of rationality by comparison.
